


I just watch the otters

by noxsoulmate



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Baby otters, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Otters, Zoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 16:05:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10133597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxsoulmate/pseuds/noxsoulmate
Summary: Castiel loves going to the zoo to watch the otters. Or rather the handsome zookeeper that works there.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Me again :) with my second SPN Reverse Bang. This adorable picture prompt was left alone at some point, and I simply had to jump in and become a pinch hitter. [topieornottopie](http://topieornottopie.tumblr.com/), I really hope you like the fluffy story I came up with. The picture deserves so much more, but maybe I'll come back to this universe it in the future ;)
> 
> For now, have fun <3

** I just watch the otters **

“Look who’s here again.”

Dean tried to ignore Jo’s excited squeal, as well as Charlie’s that followed. He didn’t have to ask who they were talking about and he wished they hadn’t seen him.

“Just in time. Hey, Dean, guess who?”

Refusing to answer Jo, Dean finished his lunch and got up to put the plate in the dishwasher.

“Oh, come on, Dean. You know who we’re talking about.”

“Is the otter guy back?” Sam asked as he entered the break room, making a beeline for the window the girls were huddled around. Jo and Charlie didn’t need to make room for him; he was a giant, after all, and could easily just look over their heads.

“Of course he is, it’s almost feeding time,” Charlie replied, before calling back to Dean. “Isn’t it, Dean?”

He rolled his eyes in reply, getting ready to head back out and get on with the rest of the day. His obvious ignorance, however, seemed to amuse his friends even more.

“Aww, Dean. Don’t be like that,” Jo taunted.

“Yeah, why don’t you give the otter guy a smile once in awhile?”

“Or better yet: why don’t you finally man up and ask him out?”

Groaning, Dean got to the door that led to the otter enclosure. “And why don’t you give him a different name? I mean ‘the otter guy’? Really?”

“Well,” Sam threw in, grin wide and boyish. “We could always just call him Dean’s guy.”

Jo and Charlie howled with laughter, and Dean flipped his brother off, leaving the break room as fast as he could.

Until two months ago, he’d really enjoyed the fact that the break room was directly next to the otter enclosure. He loved his little jelly beans – even though they could be demons sometimes – and watching them from the staff’s break room had always been a nice pastime.

And then the otter guy had shown up.

It wasn’t the guy himself, actually. No, it was Dean’s annoying friends and his little brother, who happened to be his co-workers. For some reason, they had this wild idea that the guy didn’t show up almost daily because he liked the animals, but that he had a crush on Dean.

The fact that they believed that Dean returned said crush made them even more annoying.

Sighing, Dean pushed the thoughts aside and went to get the bucket full of fish and the broom. Not that he was going to sweep the compound, of course, but his little jelly beans loved playing with it and their backs and bellies brushed. He just had to keep a tight grip on the broom, or the little demons would team up and drag it away from him. And he could attest to the fact that running after a group of little otters dragging a broom around was not sexy.

Not that he wanted to look sexy for anyone, of course.

He'd barely set foot inside when his first furry little friend ran up beside him.

“Of course you’re the first to come running, Crowley. You greedy little chowhound. No. No stealing from the bucket,” he chided, lifting the fish bucket high enough so the little guy couldn’t reach it. “You’re already a bit chubby. Maybe I should start putting you on a diet.” By now, he needed to be careful where he stepped as a few more otters weaseled around his feet, all eager for their lunch. As he got to his spot, he put the bucket on a high stone so none of the little pranksters would get to it. Turning around, he saw Crowley looking up at him with wide eyes. “Oh don’t give me that look. You know I’m right.”

Dean kept his eyes firmly on his otters and tried to avoid looking toward the railing. He could hear a crowd starting to gather; feeding time was always a highlight no matter what kind of animal. Looking over, he sent a smile in the general direction of the mob of school classes and tourists, his gaze definitely not lingering for a second on the handsome guy in a baggy trench coat with that stupidly messy hair and ridiculously cute smile.

_Damn it._

Focusing back on the gang surrounding him, he started feeding the otters, making sure everybody got their ration.

“Lilith, I saw that. That was Meg’s fish, so no more for you. Amara, stop trying to steal from your brother – seriously Chuck, you need to start fighting back.” Throwing a few fish into the water and some around the compound, he made sure to spread the otters far apart, making it easier for him to keep an eye on them. Those that tried for seconds or to steal from others were affectionately scolded for it, especially those that liked to beg. “Yeah, I know Ruby. You want more but you’re not getting any. Aww, don’t give me those eyes. I know they work on Sammy, but not me. Nope.”

Taking up his broom, he started to distract those he knew would eat every single fish if he wasn’t careful. He heard children giggling, and smiled to himself as Crowley rolled around and squeaked in delight as Dean lightly tickled his chubby tummy with the bristles.

All too soon, feeding and playtime was over. There were other animals that needed his attention, and the food he brought, of course. As he threw the last few fish out into the water – Crowley actually able to snatch a second helping – most of the bystanders had already moved on, likely following the zoo’s schedule of feeding times.

It made it all the more obvious that one single figure hadn’t moved an inch.

Hesitantly, Dean looked over and caught the man’s gaze. Instead of running away, as the man had done the first few times, or blushing and waving awkwardly before trying to leave in a somewhat calmer way, this time he actually stayed put. He was still blushing but also smiling at Dean, and Dean couldn’t help but to smile back.

Quickly, he looked back to where the window to their break room could be seen through some trees. It was enough for him to see that none of his friends were watching; they were all probably off feeding other animals.

Maybe this was his chance.

The guy was still there, leaning against the railing. He was mostly watching the otters, but Dean was sure the guy’s gaze wandered towards him more than once.

Putting the bucket and broom down, Dean gave himself a quick pep talk.

“Okay, Winchester, you can do this. Just go over and strike up a conversation. The guy’s been here often enough, so either he’ll talk about the otters with you … or you just ask him out. Come on, man up. You got this.”

Catching the man’s gaze once more, the warm, shy smile on the guy’s lips gave him the last confidence boost he’d needed. Smiling, he took a step toward the railing.

And stopped short as a little girl tugged on the baggy trench coat. The man turned and a wide smile spread over his face, all shyness gone. Picking her up, he kissed her nose, making her giggle, before balancing her comfortably on one arm.

_Okay, so the guy has a daughter. No biggie, everyone’s got history._

However, he not only had a daughter but also a significant other, if the woman that stepped next to him was anything to go by. She leaned in for a quick kiss and thankfully, the girl’s head and curly hair were in the way, so Dean didn’t have to witness it.

Turning around and quickly getting his stuff, Dean left his little jelly beans, feeling slightly embarrassed and foolishly saddened. He’d let his friends' teasing turn his head, messing with him. Of course, the guy was just here to watch the otters, Dean _knew_ that. Stupid friends, trying to make more of it than there was. He’d been about to ask out a taken man possibly married, definitely with a child.

_Shit._

His friends would so get an earful for that, and God help them if they tried anything like that ever again.

 

 

Cas was sitting on the wooden bench, looking around the zoo, sighing deeply. It was a beautiful day yet he was miserable.

It was so stupid, really.

He was here with his niece, the day was perfect, and he should be having fun. And yet, he was moody. All because for almost a week, he’d not been able to see the handsome zookeeper.

It started with a job. Cas was an illustrator for children’s books and for his latest project, a series about zoo animals. He needed inspiration, so he’d bought a season ticket for the local zoo and had been going there almost daily. His second week there, he happened to be around during feeding time. The otters were cute when they fought for their lunch, but what really caught his eye was the man feeding them.

He’d tried to talk to the man often, but every damn time those amazing green eyes landed on him, he felt like an incompetent fool and walked away. That was, of course, until last week. His sister had agreed to meet him there to drop off Tanya, but Nora was running late, leaving Cas to wait for her. He was sure there was a connection between the zookeeper and himself in that moment. He was looking forward to seeing if he was right the next day, only to find another zookeeper feeding the otters. And the next. And the day after that. It’s been that way for almost a week.

Sighing, Cas looked over at Tanya, checking that she didn’t make too much of a mess with the ice cream.

“You need help with that?” He asked, forcing himself out of his bad mood. It was his last day with his niece, after all. Nora was coming back from her business trip this afternoon, so Cas better make the best of the last few hours.

The seven-year-old shook her head. “No, I’ll eat it all.”

“You sure about that?” Cas teased, already getting a tissue out. “’Cause the way I see it, your hand is eating at least half of it.”

“Nooo. Uncle Cas, I can do it. I’m a big girl.”

“Yeah, sure.” He grinned and ruffled her hair. He let her be for the moment, waiting until she finished up. Once the last bite was gone and both her hands sticky to the highest degree, he got a water bottle out and poured water over her hands.

“So, what do you wanna see next?” he asked her as he put the bottle away.

She’d accompanied him every day for the whole week, and still there were parts of the zoo she found intriguing. Thinking about it for a moment, her face lit up. “Can we go see the otters again?”

“The otters?” he asked, ignoring the way his heart jumped just a bit. “But, we just saw them after lunch.”

“But they’re cute. Please, Uncle Cas. Please, can we watch them again?”

“Well, ehm –”

“Excuse me?”

Looking up, the first thing Cas saw was the typical green shirt of the Lawrence zoo staff and his heart did yet another little jump. Until Cas looked further up.

Instead of his – no, not _his_! Instead of the handsome zookeeper, another man stood before them. The guy was impossibly tall and in dire need of a haircut. But then again, Cas was probably the last person to judge other people’s hair.

At least the man was smiling at them.

“Ehm, yes?”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear.” If at all possible, the man’s smile grew even wider. “You two like our otters very much, don’t you?”

“Oh, I –”

“Yes!” Tanya exclaimed, already halfway on her feet.

The man chuckled, but seeing Cas’ skeptical face, he hastened to explain. “Sorry, Sir. I don’t mean to weird you out. It’s just. Well … our break room is next to the otter enclosure, so my colleagues and I couldn’t help but notice you coming by on a regular basis.”

Cas tried to hide his blush.

_Quick, brain. Think._

“Yeah, ehm … the otters are …”

_Seriously, brain? Is that all?_

“Uncle Cas draws animals. He’s making a book.”

_Yes, that! Exactly._

“Oh, that … that’s nice,” the giant said, his smile faltering for a moment, and Cas squinted at him. What kind of reaction was that? “So, it’s a book about otters, I take it?”

“No,” Tanya threw in. “He draws _all_ the animals. We just like the otters the best.”

“Ah.” The smile on the man’s face was back, his mood changes confused Cas. “Well, in that case, back to why I came here. We … well, we usually don’t do this, but seeing how much you love to watch them, would you two like to see some baby otters?”

“ _Yes!_ ”

Tanya was off the bench before Cas could get out a single word. The whole thing felt slightly weird – but then again, Cas reminded himself, he _had_ come here almost everyday for over two months. Since he couldn’t admit to the giant that at a certain point it started to be more about the handsome zookeeper instead of the animals, Cas gave in wordlessly and followed them. At least, this would give him some future references on how baby otters looked.

“I’m Sam, by the way. Sam Winchester.”

Cas took the man’s proffered hand, awkwardly shaking it as they walked next to each other. “Castiel Novak. Nice to meet you.”

“And I’m Tanya.”

“Hello, Tanya,” Sam replied, shaking her hand as well as he led them towards the otter compound. Once there, they walked the path alongside the railing towards the entry marked clearly as _Staff only_.

“Wow, this is so cool,” Tanya remarked with wide eyes as Sam held open the door for her and let her step in first. Hesitating for just a moment, Cas followed his niece.

 

 

“Hey Dean, brought you some visitors.”

Not letting go of the baby otter in his hands, Dean turned towards Sam’s voice and did a double take as he saw who his brother was talking about.

The moment the cute guy saw Dean, he seemed to hesitate as well.

“Oh my _God!_ Uncle Cas, look how cute these are.”

Suddenly, a little girl was right beside Dean, looking at the basket that held all the new additions to their otter family.

“How old are they?”

“Ehm,” Dean said, not sure where to look first.

Why did Sammy bring the guy and his daughter here?

Wait, _Uncle_ Cas?

What was going on?

“About two months,” he finally answered, focusing on the girl for a moment before looking back at his brother.

“Dean, this is Castiel and his _niece,_ Tanya. I thought since they’re here so often and love the otters, they would also love to see the babies.”

“Yeah, ehm … okay?” Dean stuttered, still not sure how to react. The safe bet at the moment was probably to concentrate on the girl. She was still looking at the basket full of furballs, but mindful not to touch.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m …” He looked at Sammy once more, but his brother only grinned and sent him a wink behind the other man’s back, before actually leaving. _What the hell?_

“I’m weighing them.”

“Why?”

“Because … we need to see how much they weigh to decide if they’re ready for the big enclosure.”

“And what if they aren’t?”

“Then they stay separated from the others,” Dean went on, slowly calming himself by focusing on what he knows. “Maybe we need to nurse them a bit.”

“Will they die?” the little girl ask, real concern in her eyes that made Dean smile at her reassuringly.

“No, no. They’re all pretty strong at this point.”

“Can I touch them?”

“Tanya, I think that’s enough questions for now.”

Holy shit, could someone have warned him that the guy had a voice like _that_?

“But, Uncle Cas, look how cute they are.”

_Uncle._

There, she’d said it again.

Sammy wasn’t pulling a stupid prank on him.

God, Dean had been so stupid, drawing conclusions without checking facts. He even switched feeding duties so he wouldn’t be there in case the guy continued to come by.

Snapping himself out of it, Dean moved the baby otter still sitting on the scale – Dean was too distracted to actually take any measurements – and reached for a pair of gloves from the shelf.

“Here, put these on. Then you can touch them.”

The girl eagerly put on the gloves. Carefully, she reached into the basket and stroked the otters’ heads.

“They’re so soft.”

“Be careful, Tanya.”

Dean jumped as the guy was suddenly standing right next to him, one hand on his niece’s shoulder and studying the little otter babies.

“Can I have one?” Tanya asked as if she was standing in front of a basket full of puppies, not otter cubs.

Dean chuckled as he finally took note of the weight on the scale, before cradling the mini jelly bean to his chest and kneeling in front of the girl. “That wouldn’t be the best idea, trust me. These guys can be little demons, no matter how harmless they appear to be.”

He heard a soft chuckle from above him and looked up, meeting the man’s gaze for real this time; he’d never seen eyes as blue as those. Sending the man a tentative smile, Dean quickly turned back to the girl.

“But, ehm. How about this: This little guy here still needs a name. Would you like to help me with that? And when you come back next time, you’ll know this little fluffball is your otter.”

“I can do that?”

“Sure.”

Looking up at her uncle for further confirmation, he nodded at her encouragingly.

Carefully, she reached out, but instead of just letting her pet the mini otter, Dean gently put it in her hands, keeping his own close in case she needed help.

The girl took her sweet time, clearly thinking about all the options. What she came up with in the end, Dean would’ve never guessed.

“Can we call him Captain Fluffy Paws?”

At that, both men huffed out a laugh, but Dean was quick to nod.

“Sure. And for short, I’ll call him Captain, okay?”

Tanya’s eyes shone with glee as she nodded, looking down at her very own otter baby. After a few moments, she handed it back to Dean, who put Captain into the basket with his brothers and sisters.

“Well, that was the last of them. Now thanks to you, they all have names.”

“And are they all strong enough?”

“Yep,” Dean said, but didn’t get further as the door opened once more.

“Hey, Dean, what’s taking – oh, hey there,” Jo greeted, looking a bit baffled.

Charlie appeared right behind her and Dean could see both their minds working. Trying to prevent whatever conclusions they came up with, he quickly jumped in. “Jo, Charlie, this is  Cas and his niece, Tanya.”

“Niece?” both girls exclaimed as one, making Dean cringe. He could actually _see_ the moment it all clicked for his friends. “Oh, your _niece_ ,” Jo stated gleefully, ignoring his warning glare. “And here we were thinking she was your daughter.”

“ _Jo_.” His hissed warning was way too late.

Frowning, Cas looked between the women. “My … my daughter? No, why – oh,” he suddenly breathed out and looked at Dean, who tried furiously not to blush. “Oh, I see.”

Risking a glance, Dean saw the other man smile at him.

“No, Tanya’s my sister’s daughter. In fact, her mother’s picking her up from here very soon. Ehm … would … would you maybe … like to grab a coffee then? With me?”

“I …” Perplexed, Dean stared for a moment. Seriously, there was no other possible answer: “Yes, sure.”

“Great,” Cas replied, grinning wide at him. “Say, in an hour or so?”

Dean’s heart sank. “I’ll still be working then.”

“Ever heard of a break, Winchester?”

He jumped, already forgotten about his friends in the room.

“Ehm, yeah,” Dean amended. “If you don’t mind the zoo’s coffee shop?”

“No, not at all,” Cas replied, grinning at him.

Dean couldn’t help but return it. “Great. Then I’ll meet you there. In one hour.”

“Perfect.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

Jo cleared her throat, making the two men snap out of their staring contest. Tanya and Charlie were giggling and blushing as much as Dean was as Cas led his niece out of the room, throwing Dean one last smile.

“Awwww, look at you, Winchester,” Jo gushed mirthfully. “Finally going on a date with Mr. Charming Otter Guy.”

“And look how he’s blushing,” Charlie threw in, hopping over to actually pinch him in the cheek. “This is so adorable. And we were there when the great romance started.”

“Okay, okay, calm down.” Dean ducked away from Charlie and picked up the basket full of otter babies, ready to bring them to their new home. “It’s just coffee, don’t get your panties in a twist. Jesus, you act as if I’m about to propose to the guy.”

“Awww, look, Jo. He’s already talking about marrying him.”

“Yeah, you just wait and see. Give it four years or so.”

“I’m betting three.”

“Alright, it’s on. So, Winchester, let’s talk about this in three to four years or so.”

Groaning, Dean simply went to the enclosure’s door, leaving his two annoying friends behind. Once he was away from them, he couldn’t keep the grin off his face.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A very, very big thank you to [destimushi](http://archiveofourown.org/users/destimushi/pseuds/destimushi) and [courie969](http://archiveofourown.org/users/courie969/pseuds/courie969) for being my wonderful betas for this <3


End file.
